Slip of Fate aka Shohoku's Great Depression
by Hikaru R. Kudou
Summary: Non-yaoi RuHana; Slight humour. Shohoku will be having a friendly match against Kainan, but troubles seem to prop up. Ayako devices a risky plan to ensure their victory. Will it work, or will it backfire? [Discontinued]
1. One

Author: Hikaru R. Kudou  
Email: crystal_clear@comic.com  
Rating: General  
Genre: General, non-yaoi RuHana  
DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own in this story is the plot, nothing else.

~

            "Pass the ball!"  
            "I got it!"  
            "Hey!"  
            "Run faster!!"  
            "Nyahahaha! The tensai has the ball now!"  
            "Oh, shut up!"  
            "Do'aho…"  
            "Teme!! Rukawa!! How dare you steal the tensai's ball??"  
            "Whoa, nice dunk Rukawa!!!"  
            "L-O-V-E Rukawa!"  
            "Rukawa-kun…"  
            A typical day in Shohoku High School…   
            "Oi, Sakuragi! Will you please work together with Rukawa? You guys are in the same team for goodness' sake!"  
            "Nani? You dare to suggest such a thing to this tensai?"  
            "Maa maa…we have a game here…"  
            "Hn."  
            "Kora, Rukawa!!!"  
            Coach Anzai sipped his green tea calmly. Ayako was already taking her all-time-powerful-fan from its 'shrine'. Akagi looked as if he was about to burst any second soon. Haruko, the sister of the ever-fearful gori of Shohoku was, as always, admiring Rukawa Kaede.  
            Rukawa swept his sweaty with the back of his hand. So far he had scored 28 points for his team, much to Sakuragi's dismay.  
            "That's it for today!" Akagi's strong voice shook the whole building. "I have something to say. Listen up!"  
            "Hai, captain!"  
            "We will be having a friendly match against Kainan in three weeks' time. I want you to win this one, you hear me?"  
            "Hai!" Even the team's voices put together could not rival that of Akagi Takenori.  
            "Remember our last match with them? We lost by a narrow shot! This time, I cannot accept another defeat!"  
            Ayako nodded thoughtfully.  
            Sakuragi shifted uncomfortable. Painful memories returned to haunt him. He recalled passing the ball to the wrong man at the last minute of the game. Uncontrollably, his eyes were watery, despite his efforts to hold his tears back.  
            The whole gym was silent. They understood how Sakuragi had felt. Even Rukawa managed NOT to whisper do'aho to Sakuragi. Mitsui could not utter a single syllable, and it was obvious Akagi himself was trying hard not to cry. Miyagi, on the other hand, was too absorbed marveling Ayako's beauty.  
            "We understand what we should do," murmured Mitsui, a note of determination in his words.  
            "Don't worry Akagi—this time we'll win." Kogure nodded.  
            Sakuragi did not interject.  
            "They're going down," added Rukawa. There was a resolute glint in his eyes.  
            Miyagi finally snapped out of his daydream. He, with difficulty, reached to tap Sakuragi's shoulder. _Damn, I haven't grown a single inch taller…_  
            "Ryo-chin?"  
            "We'll get them this time, Hanamichi, trust me."  
            Sakuragi was about to say he was fine, but Ayako threw him a warning look. He silenced himself.  
            "Adjourned!" yelled Akagi.  
            "Hai, arigatou!!!"  
            "Ne, Sakuragi…you OK?" asked Mitsui with genuine concern.  
            "Don't worry, Sakuragi! The sad look doesn't suit you!"  
            Sakuragi by then felt as if there was a massive flood inside his eyelids.  
            "Crybaby…" Rukawa walked past him indifferently.  
            "Rukawa!" said Ayako in reproach. She caressed her fan, telling Rukawa not to make matters worse. Ayako can be demanding whenever she wants to.  
            Rukawa consented and walked out.  
            "Hey, Hanamichi, how's about heading to Danny's? I'm starving." Miyagi winked at him.  
            "I'm not really hungry…"  
            "Oh, come on! Don't be such a sourpuss! It'll be my treat." Mitsui pulled Sakuragi.  
            "Ne, Sakuragi…" Kogure adjusted his glasses. "Don't be like this. What happened to the cheerful Sakuragi Hanamichi we all knew?"  
            "Demo…I can't help it…"  
            "The past has passed. You can't do anything to change it. The only thing you can do is, learn from your mistakes."  
            Akagi told the rest to move. Even Gori had the heart not to let everyone witness Sakuragi crying.  
            "If you don't get energetic soon you won't be able to play well in the game." Ayako took her cap off. "And this time we can't afford to lose, understand?"  
            Haruko was watching Sakuragi. Actually, she only started to notice Sakuragi was in a dilemma once Rukawa exited the gym. She approached the redhead.  
            "Sakuragi-kun…let's go," she said softly, "may I, onii-chan?"  
            Akagi nodded. "Just this once…" He departed.  
            Haruko beamed at Sakuragi.  
            "Excellent!" Mitsui pulled Sakuragi again, this time with more force.  
            Sakuragi stood up abruptly, causing Mitsui nearly losing his balance. Together, they walked to their favourite hangout.

            Meanwhile, Rukawa had reached his own abode. Tossing his bag aside, he dropped himself on to the sofa. He reached out for his basketball.  
            "Sakuragi Hanamichi…" he whispered obliviously. His eyes widened when he realized what he had just said. His eyes rested on the framed picture of the Shohoku basketball team on his television set.  
            "I want to win this one, 'aho." He hurled the ball upwards and caught it again. The whole process repeated for a few minutes. He paused. "I want to win this one BAD." He let the ball fly higher as he emphasized on the last word, thus crashing his chandelier into bits. He sighed as he went to the kitchen to retrieve a broom. "That's the third one this week."

~{tsuzuku}~

Author's Notes: Not much in this chapter. Please review before you go. Thanks for reading. *bows*


	2. Two

DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own in this story is the plot, nothing else. So go sue someone else.  
P/S: The charas are slightly OOC—can't help it, you know.

~

            Sakuragi sipped his milkshake absentmindedly. The table was quiet. Miyagi tried to crack up some (silly) jokes but no one laughed, much to his irritation. Kogure, however, was too absorbed in his Chemistry book to join in the conversation—only there wasn't any.  
            "Hey, Sakuragi…are you getting restless?" asked Mitsui. "If you are then how's about a one-on-one with me? That'll work you out." He grinned.  
            Sakuragi nodded. He got up and departed first, Mitsui trailing behind him.  
            "I'd better get going now," murmured Ayako, nodding to Haruko. "My mom will be worried."  
            "Yes, my oniichan too." Haruko got up along with Ayako.  
            "Hey, wait! Who's going to pay for the bill?" asked Miyagi.

             _This is one weird day. How come I'm feeling low even with Haruko-san's presence? What's going on here? Don't tell me I'm sick! _He felt his forehead for any temperature. _Nope, I'm still 37 degrees. Then what the hell is wrong with me?_  
            "Sakuragi! Watch out for the lamppost!" warned Mitsui.  
            "What lamppost? Argh, itai!!!" Sakuragi banged his face. He rubbed his aching nose to make sure it was still in shape. "Why didn't you inform me?"  
            "I did, ahou, I did!" Mitsui insisted, hiding his amusement. "You're the one with slower reflexes!"  
            "Speak for yourself, Mitchy!"  
            "Just start walking all ready. Time is precious, you know." Mitsui resumed his pace.  
            Sakuragi gave him a death glare from behind. While he was walking, he saw a black cat mewing endlessly. The cat eyed him sharply.  
            "I have a bad feeling about this…" He sighed and ran after Mitsui.

            Akagi yawned. He was tired. He had just completed a day of hard basketball training and then his mother asked him to buy some groceries. GROCERY SHOPPING? The two words usually meant smelly fishes, meat and other edibles and going to the marketplace—the last place on earth he would ever think of stepping into.  
            "Why me?" he muttered loudly, attracting attention from the bystanders. "Why not Haruko? She's the one who should be buying all these, but why me?" He shook his shopping list forcibly.  
            Ten minutes had elapsed. In his right hand, was a bag full of fishes and meat. Akagi would rather die than meeting any of the team members at that moment. They would be laughing their heads off seeing the authoritative captain of team shopping for foodstuff. He waited for the lights to turn green. As soon as it did, Akagi marched quickly to cross.  
            Out of the blue, a car came speeding, not showing any signs of stopping. The black sports car was racing exactly in Akagi's direction.  
            Akagi turned to look, his mouth wide open. Nothing came out. The next second, everything went pitch black.

            "I'll get the phone!" offered Haruko cheerfully. She ran to the telephone and answered it. "Hello, Akagi residence—yes, Akagi Takenori, but he's not home yet—"  
            "He's in hospital right now."  
            "Nani!?" Haruko's eyes were bulging out of its sockets in shock.  
            "He just got involved in an accident. It's best for you to see him now."  
            Haruko stammered. "Hai, wakatta. Arigatou gozaimasu, sensei." The receiver slipped from her shaking hand.  
            "Anything wrong, Haruko?" asked Mrs. Akagi.  
            Haruko goggled at her, a shocked expression on her face. "Oniichan is in hospital!"

            Kogure scribbled his Physics notes into his workbook. As soon as that was over, he moved on to his Additional Mathematics homework. He was having fun doing schoolwork. There was nothing like a strenuous exercise in basketball and homework to complete afterwards—to him, that is.  
            "There's a phone call waiting for you downstairs, son." His father's voice interrupted his mind at work.  
            "I'll answer it, otou-san."  
            "Your mother has been calling you for the past five minutes. Didn't you hear her?"  
            "She did? Gomen ne, I was too busy with my schoolwork. It started first with my looking for the value of a, then b—"  
            His father stopped him from going on until he reached z. "The phone. It's your headmaster."  
            "Oh, yes, nearly forgot." Kogure ran down the stairs to get the phone. "Hello, Kogure Kiminobu speaking. Oh, hello Murada-sensei."  
            "I'm calling to inform you of your application for the student-exchange-programme you signed up for last month."  
            "Yes?" Kogure's heart skipped a beat.  
            "I'm happy to say you're chosen. So you'll be off to Korea for two months."  
            "Hontou ni? Oh, thank god!"  
            "So you'll have to get ready. You'll be going next week."  
            "Thank you, Murada-sensei!" Kogure practically bowed. He bid him goodbye and replaced the receiver.  
            "I'm going to Korea next week—for two whole months starting next week—eh, matte!" He paused. "That means I won't be playing against Kainan!"

            "He's going to be fine." The doctor who attended to Akagi, Dr. Hajime Murasaki explained. "Only his right leg is broken—that's the worst injury he got. The others are merely minor bruises and such. He can handle them—being a big boy that he is." The doctor laughed whilst the Akagi household sweatdropped.  
            "Onii-chan!" ejaculated Haruko as she entered Akagi's ward.  
            Akagi muttered something inaudible. His right leg was in a cast, his eyes glaring at it. His left cheek was plastered and his forehead bandaged.  
            "The fishes and the meat are ruined," he told his mother dryly.  
            "Oh, who cares about the fishes! The main thing is that you're safe!" Mrs. Akagi smothered Akagi's face with motherly kisses, thus hurting Akagi at the same time.  
            "You're harming him," Mr. Akagi told his wife.  
            "Onii-chan—" wailed Haruko.  
            "Nan de?" asked Akagi, frowning deep.  
            "—can I sign your cast? Pretty please?"  
            Akagi groaned in response. _The cast is bad enough—now it has Haruko's signature on it! Oh, the humiliation!_

Sakuragi lied on his bed. He had just taken a nice, warm bath and now he was able to think more clearly. About many things that lingered in his thoughts.  
            The game with Kainan. The words echoed in the perimeters of his brain cells. The previous night, he had the same dream—more like remembrance of the bitter defeat. The bitter defeat he had caused for the whole team. Everyone tried their very best, gave it their best shot, and he blew it all. With a simple action, he shattered everyone's dream into pieces. It was a strange thing no one actually scolded and blamed him directly for that and that made him feel guiltier. Even Rukawa—even the ice king blamed himself for the tragedy and not him, the do'aho. Not even one tiny bit.  
            Sakuragi's eyes glued at the ceiling. _Why on earth did kitsune blame himself and not me? Heck, why am I even thinking about him in the first place? Because it didn't seem like him…He was different that night. Sure, his selfishness caused him to think that way but is that all there is to it?  
            _Sakuragi smiled to himself. _Why am I even trying to understand what he thinks? I am undoubtedly confused._ His mind immediately thought of the black cat he saw earlier. He did not believe in superstitions, but that was about to change.  
            He yawned and drifted off to sleep.

            The next day has arrived. The team was in the basketball court, waiting for Akagi. They sill had no idea about Akagi's unfortunate accident.  
            "Gori's late." Sakuragi mumbled over and over again. "And he say he's always on time."  
            Ayako joined the boys after inquiring about Akagi's absence. "I have one bad news, everyone."  
            Everyone stopped talking in an instant, noticing the seriousness in Ayako's tone. This, of course, did not apply to Rukawa since he was not a talkative person.  
            "It seems that Akagi-sempai is involved in some kind of an accident yesterday."  
            The boys sucked in their breath in surprise.  
            "Apparently he was shopping for a few groceries—"  
            "Akagi buying groceries??" interjected Miyagi, unable to refrain himself. He was on a verge of laughing.  
            "Yes, fishes, meats and some other vegetables—"  
            By then everyone imagined a Gori holding a bag filled with fishes. The team snorted, obviously trying very hard not to laugh at the vision. Rukawa had a weird look on his face.  
            "As a result, he broke his right leg. The doctor informed that he would not be able to play basketball for three whole months, due to his condition."  
            "Poor Akagi must be heartbroken!" Mitsui chipped in.  
            At that second. an image of a gorilla in bed with a cast on his right leg entered everyone's mind. Make that a crying gorilla in bed with a cast on his right leg.  
            "So I'm sure this means that Akagi won't be playing with us against Kainan." Ayako frowned.  
            "Don't worry, Aya-chan," Miyagi voiced out. "There are still the rest of us. I mean, we can't rely on guv'nor forever, now can we?"  
            "Ryota, when did you get all sensible and logical?" asked Ayako, obviously impressed by Miyagi's words.  
            "Yeah, as long as you have this tensai we won't lose!" Sakuragi laughed boisterously.  
            "He's back. He has gotten over his sadness yesterday." Mitsui shook his head, smiling at the same time.  
            Rukawa rolled his eyes coldly. _Do'aho`s will be do'aho`s for the rest of their lives…  
            _Kogure entered the gym, not looking cheerful as usual.  
            "Sempai! Have you heard the news?" asked Ayako.  
            Kogure held his hand up. "Before that I have something to say—a bad news, I fear."  
            Every eye stared at him. They did not think they could accept another bad news after what they heard about Akagi's case.  
            "I'm really sorry, but—" Kogure lowered his head.  
            "Sempai?"  
            "I won't be playing for the friendly game against Kainan."  
            The rest were expecting the worst once they heard what their vice-captain had said…  
            "Doushite? Doushite, sempai?" demanded Ayako.  
            "You look fine and healthy to me, megane-kun. What's the reason?" asked Sakuragi.  
            "I'll be going on a student exchange programme next week…to Korea…"  
            "Kogure! But you could refuse—"  
            Kogure shook his head. "I tried negotiating with Murada-san, but he maintained that the game is only a friendly match, not as important as Inter High or something else. He didn't allow me to cancel—"  
            "And what do your parents say about this?" questioned Mitsui.  
            "They prefer to have me going for the student-exchange programme."  
            There was absolute silence. Everyone was thinking about the same thing.  
            "There's nothing else you can do, sempai," said Ayako. "It's better for you to go—since it's your parents' wish."  
            "But will you be all right?" asked Kogure.  
            "We will be fine, don't worry." Mitsui grabbed a basketball. "Wait for our good news."  
            Kogure nodded in reply.  
            "Aren't you going to tell him about Akagi?" asked Sakuragi, whispering to Ayako.  
            The girl shook her head. "It'll ruin his concentration to go to Korea. I know he's been looking forward to this programme even though he doesn't show it, Sakuragi. I reckon it's better if we keep him in the dark about this."  
            "Sakuragi Hanamichi! What are you whispering to Ayako about?" demanded Miyagi, enviously.  
            "Nothing important Ryochin!"  
            Ayako slapped her tessen on Miyagi's head. "Go and start the game!"  
            "Hai, Aya-chan~" Miyagi ran off.  
            Little did they know things were going from bad to worse. They would find out soon enough.

~{tsuzuku}~

A/N: Chapter two done. Chapter #3 will take awhile to upload due to some unavoidable reasons. Flames and reviews are both welcomed, though I must say I prefer the latter *grins*. Hai, thanks for reading! *bows*


	3. Three

DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own in this story is the plot, and some other weird people with weird names.   
P/S: The charas are slightly OOC—can't help it, you know.  
Author's Senseless Ramblings: Many thanks to **blah101**, **magenta blues** and **Rousy P** for reviewing this fanfic of mine!

~

            -_Shohoku Basketball Gym  
_            The atmosphere in the gym was, everyone agreed, different without Akagi's yells and reprimands. The training went on as usual, with each player practising really hard. Kogure practised along, helping his juniors improve their game. Ayako was deep in thoughts, figuring out how to handle the situation without Akagi.  
            "Take a break, guys!" she said. "Five minutes!"  
            "You need to be a little more aggressive," Kogure adviced Yasuda Yasuharu. "You looked scared when you had control of the ball just now."  
            "Hanamichi, you weren't paying much attention in the game," said Miyagi. "Still down in the dumps, huh?"  
            Sakuragi quickly argued. "The tensai is all right, no need to worry! Nyahahaha~"  
            Anzai-sensei nodded. He approved of Sakuragi's fiery excitement; the basis that everyone else silently agreed was the spark plug of the whole team.  
            "You know what, I think I prefer the murky Sakuragi yesterday!" teased Mitsui, earning himself a deadly glare.  
            As they chatted on, someone knocked on the gym door. It was a middle-aged man, whom the school knew only too well. Takenouchi Shiyuichi, the austere discipline teacher.  
            "Takenouchi-sensei, good afternoon." Ayako said, followed by the rest.  
            "Hm!" Takenouchi-sensei approached them. "I'm looking for Mitsui Hisashi."  
            Everyone stared at him right after the teacher spoke. Mitsui, his water bottle halfway reaching his mouth, froze.  
            "We need to talk. Now. My office."  
            "Ah?" Mitsui was dumbfounded. He got up and followed Takenouchi silently, praying non-stop.  
            "I wonder what's the matter." Ayako blinked several times.  
            "Judging from Takenouchi-sensei's expression—I have a bad feeling about this," remarked Kogure. "Mitsui is included in Takenouchi's blacklist, you know."  
            "But Mitsui-sempai has changed for the better! I don't see why Mitsui-sempai should still be blacklisted!"  
            "Let's just say Takenouchi-sensei doesn't forgive and forget easily. I heard rumours saying that Mitsui once played a really dirty trick on him or something—last year."  
            Ayako remembered and blew her high-pitched whistle. "Break's over! Get back to the training!"  
            Sakuragi rose from his seat, and caught Rukawa's cold eyes. They glared sideways for a few milliseconds before resuming their fixture. For once, no enmity spark between them.

            _-Takenouchi's office_  
            Mitsui stepped into the familiar office. He had been there for innumerable times, a variety of reasons and got punished severely. But all that had stopped ever since he turned over a new leaf. So what could be waiting for him?  
            "Sit." Takenouchi ordered flatly.  
            _Kami-sama—just drop the monosyllabic act will yah? Rukawa alone is enough…_Mitsui pondered to himself and obeyed. He budged awkwardly in his chair.  
            "I've heard a lot of complaints from the teachers lately." Takenouchi tipped his fingertips together. "I don't think I should name them one by one."  
            Mitsui swallowed a lump in his throat.  
            "On second thought, maybe I should." Takenouchi put his glasses on and unfolded a piece of paper. A long piece of paper. "Three weeks ago, you didn't complete your Biology project. Two days after that, you were seen sneaking out of your Chemistry class. Approximately two hours later, during the Physics test, you were seen copying—" and the list went on and on. Just listening to them was enough to hurt Mitsui's hearing.  
            Mitsui's jaw was hanging open, terror-stricken. His dentures seemed as if they were about to fall off any moment soon. "But—but I can explain!"  
            "I was told that your grades went down badly these last few months."  
            "That was because—"  
            "—your basketball."  
            Mitsui nearly lost his balance. He exploded before he was aware of what he was doing. "I didn't complete my Biology project because I was absent when the class got the assignment! I wasn't skipping my Chemistry class; I had to go to the toilet! And I never copied in any test!"  
            "No use denying it, Mitsui-kun."  
            "But it's the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!" Mitsui was by then yelling on the top of his lungs. "And most of all, my basketball has nothing to do with my grades!"  
            "Yes it does."  
            "NO! You're just saying this because you wanted to have revenge on me! You're just making this whole thing up! I know you still remember last year's incident well and you want to get even with me!" Mitsui swore several times—hence signing his death warrant.  
            Takenouchi flared up in an instant. Smoke was coming out of his ears. His frown sunk his beady, watchful eyes. He stood up abruptly, his fists on the table.  
            Exactly that moment, Mitsui realized what he was in for. And boy, did he ever regret it.

            _-Back to the gym  
_            "What was that yell?" asked Kuwata Toki. "I could've sworn it came from Takenouchi-sensei's office."  
            "Mitsui!?" Sakuragi, Miyagi, Kogure and Ayako exclaimed.  
            "Yare yare…" whispered Rukawa.  
            "Will you please understand the situation here?" Ayako demanded in reproof.  
            Rukawa shrugged.  
            A louder scream shook the whole school.  
            "Now that's scary," commented Miyagi, gripping the ball he was dribbling. "Takenouchi-sensei's?"  
            "None other," replied Sakuragi. "Poor Mitchy."  
            "Do you think his ears are still OK?" chipped in Shiozaki.  
            "Ahou," muttered Rukawa.  
            "I think it's best if we continue…we don't have all day," reminded Ayako. "Remember—who're we going to beat?"  
            "Kainan!" they yelled in unison.  
            One hour had passed. Mitsui finally reappeared. His face was sulky, his fists punching the door persistently.  
            "Gomen ne, minna," said he. "Ore—"  
            Takenouchi came up from behind. "Mitsui Hisashi won't be playing basketball for one month."  
            "Nani!?" the team blurted out. _Akagi and Kogure won't be playing…and now, Mitsui? What is the world coming to?_  
            "But this is injustice!" objected Ayako. "We have a game against Kainan—"  
            "Right now it's more important for Mitsui-kun to concentrate in his academics. And by the look of the things he had done over the past two months, I think I have been very decent in giving out his punishment. He is to attend detention class and so I'm sorry but he is not allowed to participate in any basketball session."  
            Mitsui, standing behind Takenouchi, was making faces at him.  
            "I believe I have made myself clear. Anzai-sensei?" Takenouchi glanced over at the plump, white haired old man.  
            Anzai-sensei laid his teacup down. Mitsui looked at Anzai-sensei, his eyes portraying his expectation.  
            "Actually, I disagree," Anzai-sensei said to Takenouchi, "I think one month is a little too long."  
            _Come on, oyaji!!_ Sakuragi cheered silently.  
            "The game is important, Takenouchi-sensei. Maybe you could postpone his punishment?"  
            Takenouchi shook his head stubbornly. "I have been lenient all this while."  
            "I'm sure you will find a wiser solution to this. Let's discuss this outside." Anzai-sensei and a reluctant Takenouchi-sensei departed.  
            Ayako put her hands on her hips. "What is going on here?"  
            Mitsui sadly related what happened in the office.  
            "Mitsui-sempai! You can't miss the competition!" insisted Ishii. "We need a three-point shooter!"  
            "Don't you think I know that? But what can I do? Takenouchi-sensei even told my parents about this!"  
            "This is serious, indeed." Kogure folded his arms.  
            "Guys, we have to sort this whole thing out quickly. Governor will kill us if we lose the match!" said Miyagi.  
            Surprisingly Sakuragi, the loud mouth, was quiet the whole time. Rukawa could not help but glance at him. The ace was starting to miss his taunts and boastings.  
            "I'm sure oyaji will make Takenouchi-sensei see things from his point of view," said Sakuragi, evidently trying to convince himself. "You have nothing to worry about, Mitchy!"  
            Mitsui stared at him, appreciating the warmth in his voice. Anzai-sensei re-entered not long after that.  
            "Anzai-sensei!" Mitsui voiced out.  
            The respectable coach shook his head sadly. "I did, however, manage to persuade him to call your detentions off. So that means—you won't be able to play for the match, but you'll still practise with the rest."  
            Another blow. Shohoku would not be having a three-point shooter in the game, the best centre in Kanagawa prefecture, and their very own vice-captain. And the worst part of all was that it was Kainan they were going to face.  
            Mitsui felt his knees weakening. He tumbled kneeling on the floor, banging his hands in anger. Silence settled in.  
            Rukawa broke the silence with a sigh. "We still have time."  
            Miyagi smiled in confidence. "Rukawa's right. We still have our reserves."  
            "That's what we are for," agreed Kuwata, "we'll do our best, you can have our word for it!"  
            "And the tensai! Never, ever forget the tensai!" interrupted Sakuragi, lightening the mood a little.  
            Rukawa never expected he would ever see the day he is thankful to hear those words—the same words he hated in the past.  
            "Loosen up, Mitsui!" said Kogure. "We can train our juniors although we won't be playing—you can't be the three-point shooter forever, you know! You should pass your knowledge and skills to others—and now's the right time!" Kogure smiled motivationally at him.  
            Anzai-sensei laughed "Ho ho ho!", witnessing the strong bond his boys shared. Ayako also smirked.  
            Shohoku's point guard began dribbling. "Come on, guys! We'll take a break at five. After that we shall go and visit guv'nor in the hospital. We'll make sure when he sees us, he'll realize how hard we've trained and how sweaty—"  
            "—and smelly," added Sakuragi with a chortle.  
            "—and smelly we are! Iku zo!"  
            "Yosh!!!" Ayako joined in.  
            Mitsui and Kogure proceeded to teaching and correcting their juniors' mistakes. Only one matter in their minds; not to give up before the game against Kainan begins.

~{tsuzuku}~


End file.
